# Is "Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony" by Lewis Thomas a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony by Lewis Thomas (The Viking Press, 1983) is identified by: US Viking Press (New York), 1983 (ISBN 0-670-70390-7), octavo, roughly 168 pages. US Viking Press (New York), 1983, is the true first; published November 1983.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Viking Press (New York), 1983 (ISBN 0-670-70390-7), octavo, roughly 168 pages
- The first printing is identified on the copyright page by the statement 'First published in 1983 by The Viking Press' with no subsequent-printing notice; the first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap, unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lewis Thomas |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Viking Press (New York), 1983 (ISBN 0-670-70390-7), octavo, roughly 168 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Viking Press (New York), 1983 (ISBN 0-670-70390-7), octavo, roughly 168 pages. The first printing is identified on the copyright page by the statement 'First published in 1983 by The Viking Press' with no subsequent-printing notice; the first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap, unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking Press (New York), 1983, is the true first; published November 1983. This is a collection of essays that first appeared largely in The New England Journal of Medicine.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Per Viking's practice of this period a descending number row was added only to later printings, so a true first should show the 'First published in 1983' statement rather than a number line; book-club issues additionally lack the printed jacket price and use lighter boards.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony* by Lewis Thomas a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/late-night-thoughts-on-listening-to-mahlers-ninth-symphony
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.